The old house sits out on some abandoned farm land. There are all too many of them nowadays. As suburbia encroaches on the country, and land values skyrocket, old homesteads are abandoned. Then they are torn down to make room for new housing, or comericial development.

I can not help but wonder about who lived there and what went on in that old house. Was it built by a group of neighbors in a "house raising" party? Were there several generations of familes that lived there? This is not a historical landmark. No famous person lived there. But, whoever did was important to those around them. They were family.

I suppose that all of the normal milestones of life transpired there: birth, school, graduations, weddings, social events, illness, and perhaps even death.

At one time it must have been a thriving farm, nestled in the flatlands ahead of the mountain range behind it. The kind of place where one had to work hard. It was a home filled with love and plenty. A great place to raise a family and experience life. It is not hard to imagine the children racing around under the giant apple tree in the back there gathering a harvest for pies and other goodies.

It is a good thing to remember and record past history. But, it is certainly impossible to record everything. And, of course, some things are best forgotten. How fascinating it would be if we could tap into a location's history and see for ourselves what it was like.

Soon, that old house will be replaced with some modern structure. Whatever is built will not have the charm and mystique of that old house. I mean, do you ever gaze upon an abandoned townhouse and ponder life in this way?

But, in the end, we are comforted in knowing that our heavenly Father watched all that went on there. Jesus was there to help and bless. The Holy Spirit was there to guide and comfort. Each person was special in His eyes. He will always remember that old house.
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24 Nov 2005

Great article! I have written a similar one but was surprised someone else thought along these same lines. It's intriging to try to imagine who lived in some of these old houses and what their lives were like.